The GAW Quality Assurance/Scientific Activity Centre (QA/SAC Switzerland), funded by MeteoSwiss and Empa, was established in 2000. Being closely linked to the World Calibration Centre also hosted by Empa, the QA/SAC mainly focuses on surface ozone, carbon monoxide, methane and carbon dioxide measurements but is also broader in scope and provides technical and scientific support in general.

The main tasks of QA/SAC Switzerland are

science activities fostering steady analytical progress,

training, twinning, and capacity building, e.g. through GAWTEC,

contribution to GAW outreach,

networking / cooperation with other programmes / projects in line with the GAW strategy.

previous QA/SAC activities also focussed on the development and operation of the GAW Station Information System (GAWSIS); this task was recently transferred to MeteoSwiss

Science activitiesQA/SACs science activities have two main foci. Scientific data analysis in collaboration with other GAW station operators world-wide (see also the twinning activities below) and a steady analytical assessment of the available state-of-the-art and cutting edge instrumentation for ground-based in-situ monitoring. The latter includes

evaluation of novel measurement techniques and their performance improvement

assessment of their applicability for long-term monitoring purposes, e.g. through long-term side-by-side intercomparisons

dissemination of know-how to the GAW community through publications and presentations at conferences

Twinning and capacity buildingTwinning is one of the core activities of QA/SAC Switzerland since the early beginning. The main twinning stations are Assekrem (Algeria), Bukit Koto Tabang (Indonesia) and Mt. Kenya (Kenya). These stations were established in the mid-1990ies under the WMO/UNDOP/GEF programme. It was recognized that a continuous support is key to maintaining high-precision observations in line with the GAW requirements after the end of the initial programme.

QA/SAC also supports many other stations. In general, successful twinning has many aspects, such as

advice for instrument selection and operation

technical support / advice to set up measurement capabilities

regular on-site training (along with WCC-Empa)

remote support / trouble shooting

facilitating the provision of spare parts

support for quality control, data processing and data submission

support for (research) proposal writing

support for scientific data analysis and publication

teaching at a GAWTEC course

GAWTECQA/SAC Switzerland has been a partner of the GAW Training and Education Center (GAWTEC) for a long time. GAWTEC, a German contribution to GAW, provides technical guidance through twice yearly training courses, where QA/SAC Switzerland is regularly involved in teaching.

QA/SAC Switzerland is engaged in the prepa-ration of strategic documents for the GAW.

GAW outreachAn active participation in writing GAW reports and the promotion of the use of GAW data strive for an appropriate release of best practices and a good visibility of the GAW activities within and outside the GAW community.

QA/SACs cooperation with other programmes, e.g. by sharing expert knowledge, aims at fostering the synergies between GAW and those programmes. Examples are the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS), the Integrated non-CO2 Greenhouse gas Observation System (InGOS) and the Aerosol, Clouds, and Trace Gases Research Network (ACTRIS).